Miami Heat facing early season test with road-heavy schedule
To understand how much the Miami Heat will be on the road in the coming weeks is to realize that Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets is just one of five at FTX Arena during the next month.
Saturday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum marks the start of a 15-game stretch that includes 11 on the road for the Heat. In total, 26 of Miami’s first 42 games come on the road.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced that in my career having that many on the road,” said Heat veteran Udonis Haslem, who is in his 19th NBA season.
The Heat does not play its 20th home game of the season until Jan. 19. By comparison, its 20th road game comes on Dec. 29.
“Everybody’s aware,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Heat’s road-heavy start to the season. “It starts with your first step and having the right mentality to weather a lot of different things on the road. You have to have that collective toughness.”
Haslem believes the early season challenges away from home could end up benefiting the new-look Heat, which is playing three offseason additions (Kyle Lowry, Markieff Morris and P.J. Tucker) as part of its current nine-man rotation.
“I think the more time you have to get on the road and spend those four-, five-, six-game road trips, especially with a team like this with new guys coming in and a mixture of old guys,” Haslem said, “It just ensures more of an opportunity to come closer together, bond and build those relationships.
“I think when you’re at home, obviously you go home to your families, your kids, you have other obligations. But when you’re on the road, it’s just you and your guys through ups and downs, and you got to figure it out.”
Heat forward Duncan Robinson agrees, with a five-game West Coast trip that begins Nov. 8 against the Denver Nuggets looming.
“It’s a good challenge to start the year like that,” Robinson said. “To go through this kind of gauntlet of a stretch is a great challenge and at the very least when we’re through with it or in the midst of it, we’re going to know kind of where we stack up and where we stand and what we need to improve on. Obviously, it’s only a stretch of the season, but it’s a critical stretch. It’s important to get off to a good start.”
The good news for the Heat is the schedule balances out late in the season, with 13 of the Heat’s final 18 games coming at home.
“Definitely want to take care of home,” Haslem said. “If we got a long run at home, obviously we want to use that to our advantage and finish strong and go into the playoffs kind of on a hot streak.”
THE ADVANTAGE OF EXPERIENCE
Heat center Bam Adebayo was asked following Wednesday’s win against the Brooklyn Nets whether victories against the NBA’s perceived elite teams mean less now than they did previously because the expectations surrounding Miami are higher this season.
“I wouldn’t say it meant more my previous years,” Adebayo responded. “Well, my third year, because we made it to the Finals. But now I wouldn’t say it means more. But we’ve got a team with a lot of guys that have won, that have had that experience of getting that championship, so we know what it takes. My previous years, we haven’t had more than two guys. On this team, we have Kyle, who has won, we have P.J., who just won one, we’ve got Keef. You got UD. Me, Jimmy [Butler], Duncan, Tyler [Herro] have all been in the Finals. So it’s a lot of guys who know what it takes to get there.”
HEAT PRAISE
Nets coach Steve Nash offered his thoughts on the revamped Heat roster earlier this week, and he complimented Miami’s offseason additions.
“They’re very competitive,” Nash said. “Their additions have been, I think, aligned with their physicality and culture. ... It’s really great for our guys to kind of face that type of defense, a high IQ defense and a team that plays physically.”
Of Lowry, Nash said: “I think he’s just a perennial All-Star who’s extremely competitive, brings toughness and leadership. He makes big plays. I think he makes his teammates better. He brings a lot to the table and it’s a great addition for them.”
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 12:59 PM.
